The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-08-11

VI tndt uOuy. Ills dLSWeI. Iio Salu, W IHo
inquiry. "What are we here for 20 was
that I'VE must follow our leader" Hon.
John S. Barbour. This appears to haye
been the understanding, and with a fidel-
ity rarely witnessed, the speakers and
the committee on resolutions, confined
themselves substantially to the policy out
lined IN Mr.. Barbour S speech. The whole
proceedings, boiled down. were the es-
sence of the most complete bosSism. and
the most accomplishing subserviency to
one man power that has characterized any
deliberative body in Virginia for many
years. Notwithstanding there had been
divergent and even absolutely hostile po-
sitions announced on the questions OF
the State debt, the internal revenue, the
tariff, federal aid to public education, and
Cleyeland's administration, by some occult
and unexplained influence, these conflict
ing views were silenced, and general con-
sent given to the form ulation presented,
as the dictum of the supreme boss OF the
Democratic party, Hon. John S. Barbour.
There was not a dscordant note-not All
intimation that conviction was enter
tanned by any one, upon any SUBJECT, put
there was blind, savish subserviency to
the prescribed policy of Mr.. Barbour as that
which the party must adopt. The ques-
ton of consistency was not mooted, nor
was there any concern manifested Tor the
record of the party in the past upon the
yery issues which found a singular one
ness in their support in the Convention
The assumption was apparent that the
people who will be called upon in Novem-
Der to pass Judgment as to which OF the
two political parties they will entrust with
power. are Indifferent to the oft-repeated
promises of the same party, and the OFT
repeated failures to redeem every promise
upon the very points presented IN the
platform. Mr.. Barbour was the boss, and
Mr.. Barbour was the Convention. The
Intelligence OF the State was dumb IN
his presence The Honor and the hon
esty'' which have been famed before the
public by Democratic orators and writer's,
| for long years, were so much sounding
brass and tinkling cymbal" in COMPARE
son with party necessities and in the lace
of Democratic record. Cleveland'S adj
ministration was endorsed, yet no refer
| ence was made to ''ciVil service reform. -"
| the Democratic shbboleth of 1854. Hal
ris and Moffett and Barbour and Daniel
strained the resources of the English vo-
| cabulary to laud an administration. Whch
in many features, they despise, and gave
| their unqualified endorsement to a Presi-
dent with whom they do not agree in
| their views of administrative policy
| They declared in the platform adopted for
the repeal of the whole internal levenLe
system, when they knew that the Presl-
dent, whom they had just endorsed, and
the controlling men of their party, such as
Carlisle and Morrison, are opposed to any
such legislation, as evidenced. i'll the de-
feat of every movement in that direction
in the last Congress. They straddled
the tariff, by the adoption OF resolution
that can be construed either for free trade
or protection, with the full knowledge that
the President, whom heyr.endorsed, is
free trader, and in full and earnest sym
patty with the free trade importers OF
| New York. They reassert their adhe
renee to the Riddleberger debt legislation
when they are. aware that it was thell
treachery to that measure, which des'
troyed it's vitality and rendered it mop
erative They re-aflirm their adherence
to the policy of national aid to public ed.
ucation, when they have the hostile re-
cord of their party before them to the
Blair Educational bill, by which it has
been twice defeated in Democratic
House after as often having been passed
by a Republican Senate Even Senator.
elect Daniel had the effrontery to declare
that he was in favor of the bill, when il
is known that as member of the Com
mittee on Labor, in the last Congress, he
voted for the Crane bill, which was de-
signed to kill the Blair bill, and in this
succeeded. They claim that the Demo
cratic party founded and organized the
pubic-school system. when they knew that
this was made mandatory by the Consti
tuition of the State framed and adopted by
Republicans, and from which there was nc
escape. They failed to mention, however
that Democratic Governor invented the
tax-paying coupon and engineered the acts
through a Democratic Legislature, by
which the public schools were denied the
revenues dedicated to their support by the
fundamental law and through which the
entire system was brought to the verge OF
ruin, from which it was rescued only
when the Republicans were entrusted with
power. The resolutions as to agricul
ture aud labor were mere formalities de
signed to placate, if possible, the growing
hostility of these interests to the Demo
cratic party because of its failure to CON
suit these important interests and legis
late in their behalf.
The intelligent reader will recognize in
the platform a repetition of the re-
solves of this same party for the past half
dozen years and will not forget that as Of
ten as the resolves have been formally
announced have they been severely violated
The party, as such, has been false to nearly
every promise it has heretofore made, and
yet it has the effrontery to come before the
people again with the same old refrain, the
same assurances, so often falsilied, and ask
for another lease of power that it may once
more delude and cheat the voters of the
Commonwealth.
Mr.. Barbour had mapped ont the pro-
gramme, and whatever may have been the
convictions of the members of the Conven-
tion either as to the policy indicated in
| the resolutions, or the record of the par
| ty in relation to them, the order had gone
forth that the leader had to be followed
| Discussion was consequently suppressed,
strict obedience to orders demanded,
and dumb silence observed, while the
platform of principles was announced and
accented, without dissenting voice or a
word of protest.
| And yet this is a party that will make
an appeal to the people for endorsement
in the face of its failure to redeem every
pledge heretofore made, on the very ques.
tions presented, and redden the air with
| it's denunciations of the Republicans, to
| whom alone the people can look for any